coolermaster

Supplement to the "little song" of Italy, this work by the singer from Rieti contains at least two masterpieces that alone would deserve to be purchased: "Io vorrei, non vorrei, ma se vuoi" and "vento nel vento"... for me, two of the most beautiful Italian poems... yes, poems, because the lyrics of Mr. Giulio Rapetti would not look out of place in any school anthology instead of so much overrated rubbish that we have to study ;-) So, between "voli aridti" and "risalite," the album unfolds in all its radiant beauty, later imitated by dozens of singer-songwriters or self-styled ones: we arrive at the Title Track in supplesse, perhaps the least beautiful song of the work, made unpleasant by the unauthorized appropriation by parties and even football teams. "In un mondo che non ci vuole più il mio canto libero sei tu"... oh yes, Lucio... you have been the free song of generations of young people who laughed, loved, cried, and suffered along with the immortal notes of the songs you created with Mogol that revolutionized the syntax of Italian music.

I consider "Anima Latina" one of the most important albums in Italian music. I still remember when I listened to it for the first time, the CD purchased in a small country store during a trip with a friend...both of us fans of Battisti...both absolutely unaware of this title from our idol. I returned home at night, and the first thing I did was put on the CD (not yet wonderfully remastered by BMG), and immediately I felt a rush of emotions... "Abbracciala, abbracciali, abbracciati" began in the silence of my living room... I could hardly believe my ears: was this Battisti? The Battisti of "acqua azzurra, acqua chiara," "i giardini di marzo," "pensieri e parole"?? No, it wasn't him... was it PFM? No... it sounded like Andreas Vollenweider with a sprinkle of "Leo Kottke" and the best of "King Crimson"... because "Anima Latina" is a Progressive album, or rather I would dare say "world progressive," and one of the best in our Prog scene... Only "due mondi" reminds us that the singer-songwriter from Poggio Bustone isn't dead, the singer-songwriter who, like no other (well, aside from Vasco with whom he shares the Olympus for me) has been able to narrate the small and great "emotions" of us all. The rest is innovation, a luxurious search for harmonic and instrumental solutions that in an Italy where, if you were lucky, you were still listening to "Patty Pravo" (with all due respect to Patty) was like an electric shock. The melody had now spread throughout the room and into my soul as the notes of "anonimo," "la macchina del tempo," "Gli uomini celesti" emerged softly from my speakers, almost to say... "sorry for the disturbance"... No, no, what a disturbance... Many years later, "world music" was born, "new age" as it came to be called... Listening to "Anima Latina" is like listening to the soul of popular music (in the most elevated sense of the term) from the last 50 years.

The record of the definitive "turning point" for Battisti. "An uomo che ti ama," "No dottore," and "Dove arriva quel cespuglio," are all masterpieces... The rhythmic section becomes firmer and takes over the now-forgotten orchestral passages of previous years. The recording is meticulous, and even Lucio's voice seems to become less hoarse, more "soulful," charging with American "colors" that will become increasingly evident in the next three albums. "Ancoara tu" almost sounds like a proto "House" track, while "il veliero" is too long, almost unbearable. It's hard to say which of Battisti's various periods should be appreciated the most, somewhat like with the Beatles... Let’s say this record holds the same place for Lucio as "Revolver" does for the Beatles...

One of Lucio's "minor" albums, penalized mainly by a poor recording and even worse mixing... However, the instrumental parts are saved, especially "davanti ad un distributore automatico..." a poignant melody like only those in the '70s knew how to create...

I don’t entirely agree with the “Moog discussion.” The first electronic synthesizer designed by Mr. Moog (barring the "Theremin" from the '20s) was used by Walter (following the Wendy operation) Carlos in the '60s... Carlos, who composed the soundtracks for the famous "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "A Clockwork Orange" by Kubrick. The Moog was used among many others by the renowned Byrds in 1967/68, and speaking of “our stuff,” it seems blasphemous, but the first Italian song to use the "MOOG" was "Viaggio di un poeta" by Dik Dik from 1970, followed by "Noi due nel mondo e nell'anima" by Pooh, with Facchinetti creating one of the most moving and beautiful riffs of the group and of Italian pop in general... :-))) To return to the album, undoubtedly one of the manifestos of Italian Prog... An immortal work. I remember the celebrations at the Lyrical (Teatro Lirico) in Milan for the 25th anniversary of the legendary concert from '72... at the opening of "Impressioni di Settembre," the theater came down... I had tears in my eyes watching Franz di Cioccio, nearly 60 years old, break three snare drums!! A legend.